How to install modern air conditioning in an older home

It’s easy to understand why heritage homes are some of the most sought-after: their vintage beauty both harks back to a bygone era and stands the test of time.

But being designed and built for another age means period residences aren’t always equipped to meet today’s comfort standards, and the features that make them so appealing can also make it trickier to install modern heating and cooling systems.

Luckily there are ways to navigate around their quirks, and enjoy temperature control in your Victorian terrace, Edwardian house, or art deco apartment.

Gaining approval

Homeowners whose houses have a heritage overlay may require a planning permit from their local council if the air conditioning unit will be visible from a street or public park. It also pays to be mindful of particular rules and regulations relating to placement of air conditioners. Before you proceed with any cooling plans, consult your local council to prevent problems from occurring.

For apartment owners, it’s crucial to get approval before installing air conditioning.

The first step is to inform the building’s owners’ corporation in writing. Include as many details as possible regarding the placement of the system, the model you intend to use, and photographs of where you’d like it to be installed.

Your owners’ corporation or strata manager will let you know if your building has a standard by-law in place regarding air conditioners, and, if so, what the procedure is. If there’s no by-law, then you’ll need to hire a lawyer to obtain one, and then the owners’ corporation will meet to discuss the issue.

It’s crucial for apartment owners to get approval from their strata manager before installing air conditioning. Photo: Michael Bleby

Finding the right fit

Choosing the right air conditioner for an older building presents particular challenges.

Heritage homes often lack the space for a traditional ducted air conditioning unit to be installed, and single-storey brick homes – such as terrace houses – that don’t have cavity spaces make it difficult to run cables on the inside of a property. In these situations, contractors sometimes opt to run cables in conduits, but these can detract from a home’s aesthetics.

Decorative ceilings also make it tough to create openings to fit the supply and return of air grilles – after all; you don’t want to damage a home’s period details.

But Raj Singh, product manager for air conditioning company Daikin, says homeowners have other options.

Homes that already have older ducted systems can have a newer model, such as the Daikin Premium Inverter Ducted series, retrofitted onto the existing system.

“[Another] possible solution is to install a multi-split air conditioning system,” he suggests. “Each room or zone within the home will have its own individual indoor unit, which will then connect to a common outdoor unit.”

A multi-split system also has the advantage of allowing each room or zone to be independently controlled by the end user. You can set individual temperatures and airflows for each room, which is a big plus if different family members have varying temperature preferences.

“This solution also gives you the flexibility to only operate rooms which are occupied and hence save on your running cost,” Singh adds.

If you live in a small house or apartment where you spend most of your time in a single main living area, then a split system – which cools one room only – mounted to a wall could be all you need.

Avoid damaging your home’s period details. Photo: Jennifer Soo

Ensuring efficiency

Older buildings can have flaws that hinder energy efficiency, such as loose windows and doors that leak air in and out of the home, or poor insulation.

Replacing the insulation in your ceiling space will reduce heat entering the home during summer, and also keep the house warmer in winter months. Fixing gaps in windows and using draft guards at the bottom of doors will also help prevent air getting in and out.

“Increasing the airtightness of your home will improve its thermal performance and hence improve energy efficiency,” Singh explains.

As each home is different, it can also be a good idea to get a builder’s advice on how to minimise air escaping and entering the home.

High-density living

It always pays to be considerate of neighbours, especially when living in a high-density environment. Many heritage residences are located in heavily populated inner city neighbourhoods, where people living next door can be easily bothered by noise. Rattling air conditioning systems can be top culprits when it comes to disturbing the peace.

“The noise levels of an air conditioner are just as important as efficiency, as a quieter system will ensure a better cooling/heating experience,” says Singh.

“Indoor noise levels are most important during night time operations – you do not want to be woken up by the indoor unit – while outdoor unit noise levels are important to ensure minimal impact to the neighbours.”

Daikin split systems have a Quiet mode feature which, when activated, can reduce indoor and outdoor operation sound levels by two to three decibels.

“Some split system indoor units in our Cora and Zena range can operate at a whisper-quiet 19 decibels,” Singh adds.

All Daikin split systems are also designed with an air-purifying filter, which is particularly beneficial for urban environments. These filters are designed to counter allergy triggers such as dust and mould.

“Many of our models are fitted with a more advanced Titanium Apatite Deodorising filter,” Singh explains. “These filters not only trap most microscopic airborne particles, they assist to decompose odours and absorb and deactivate bacteria.”

How to improve the air quality in your home

Your home is your castle – a place of shelter, comfort and security. You’ve worked hard to make it yours, from your carefully chosen homewares to the family photos on the shelves. But caring for your home and those that live within it is about more than just making it look nice.

Daikin representative Dan Tosh says there has been a tremendous focus on the importance of indoor air quality over the last few years.

“According to the Department of Environment and Energy, people spend more than 90 per cent of their time indoors, so it’s important to really think about the quality of air that we breathe when we’re inside,” he says.

Adele Taylor, the Sensitive Choice program manager for National Asthma Council Australia agrees. She says a clean and healthy home is especially important for people with respiratory conditions and other illnesses.

“Having a healthy home is really helpful from an allergy and asthma point of view,” she says. “The biggest thing is understanding your family’s triggers and then looking at what can help them,” says Taylor.

So what can you do to improve the air quality in your home?

Ventilate and purify

It is just as important to control pollution within our homes as outside of them.

Poor indoor air quality, sometimes caused by chemicals such as formaldehyde, cigarette smoke, and fragrances, can trigger or exacerbate allergies and respiratory illnesses and asthma, conditions that affect millions of Australians.

Remove shoes at the door to avoid tracking in dirt.

Families who want to improve their indoor air quality can open the windows to improve ventilation. But if it’s cold outside, or you have pollen allergies, consider air purifiers or filters, which can remove gasses or fine particles from the air.

Daikin product manager Raj Singh says most air conditioners come with a pre-filter that captures larger particles, but Daikin split systems are fitted with more precise and advanced technology, the Titanium Apatite Deodorising Air Purification filter.

“These filters not only trap most microscopic airborne particles but also assist to decompose odours, absorb and deactivate bacteria.”

Keep a tidy house

Housekeeping can be a chore. But you are less likely to need chemical pest killers or pesticides if you have a clean home, free of the clutter and food that can attract insects or rodents.

Nicole Bijlsma, a healthy home expert and CEO of the Australian College of Environmental studies, recommends cleaning up after meals and airing out the home so that pests are not attracted by food waste or lingering smells from cooking.

Bijlsma also suggests removing your shoes at the door, so as not to track dust, dirt or other baddies into the home.

“You’ll effectively reduce the dust load by 50 per cent, and also the chemical load because a lot of these pesticides are tracked in through the feet,” she says.

It’s important to keep your air conditioner clean too. Systems with dirty or clogged filters can circulate dust throughout the home, affecting air quality.

As a rule, Tosh recommends having your filters cleaned at the start of every season.

Dust right

The tiny dust particles that gather on surfaces, in bedding and in the forgotten corners of your home contain a little bit of everything, from pollen to human skin cells and pesticides. It’s also where you will find dust mites, microscopic creatures that are one of the most common allergen triggers for asthma.

Battling dust in the home is a seemingly endless task, but one that can be made easier and more effective with the right approach to cleaning.

Bijlsma recommends using a damp microfibre cloth to clean dust from surfaces.

Avoid dusters that just push the dust from one space to another.

Microfibre cloths can hold up to seven times their own weight. Bijlsma recommends using a damp microfibre cloth to clean surfaces, followed by a clean tea towel. “You want to track the dust and rinse it down the drain,” she says.

Dust mites thrive in a moist environment, so it’s important to maintain healthy levels of humidity in your home – between 40 to 60 per cent is considered ideal.

Tosh suggests using dehumidifiers or split system air conditioners, which work to extract water from the air and reduce humidity, during the warmer months to keep dust mites and other allergens at bay.

Think green

Ditch the bleach and heavy chemicals you use to wipe your kitchen and clean the floor.

“They don’t have any strong chemicals or fragrances in them, which are often triggers for a lot of people,” she says.

New split system air conditioning models have improved technology that helps to save energy and reduce running costs – a win for you and the environment.

If you’re noticing unusually high-energy costs, excessive noise, costly repairs or uneven heating or cooling, Tosh says it may be time to think about a replacement.

Daikin split systems are the only split system models in Australia that are Sensitive Choice approved by the National Asthma Council Australia’s community service program. For more information on Daikin products visit www.daikin.com.au.

Three common misconceptions about air conditioners debunked

Though Australians are used to hot weather, sweltering, sleepless nights can put a damper on summertime fun. No one wants to sweat their way through the silly season. But that doesn’t mean you have to deal with air conditioners or fans that are noisy, unattractive or costly.

Daikin product manager Raj Singh says many people still think of air conditioning units as the “window rattlers” they remember from 20 or 30 years ago.

In recent years, however, technological advancements have made air conditioning units more appealing. We talk to Singh about some of the biggest misconceptions around air conditioners – and learn how today’s air conditioners are quieter, sleeker and more efficient.

Myth 1: ACs are energy inefficient

Singh says people are most worried about the expense of running an air conditioner, particularly when faced with price hikes from energy providers.

He says air conditioning technology has improved vastly in recent years, with brands working hard to alleviate consumer concerns about energy efficiency. For example, older air conditioning models used compressors that were unable to regulate their output to match the heat load.

“They were either on or off,” says Singh. “This resulted in less efficient operations and temperature fluctuations in the occupied space.”

“Today, with Daikin Inverter Technology, we can match the heat loads effectively and efficiently and deliver superior comfort to occupants,” he says.

And it’s paying off, with modern Daikin systems saving households up to 46 per cent on running costs compared to 15-year-old models.

Air conditioning manufacturers also have to meet minimum energy performance standards regulated by the Australian government.

“The bar is set very high by the government, ensuring that air conditioners sold in Australia are amongst the most energy efficient globally,” says Singh.

But there are things you can do to keep your home cool without blowing the budget – or your carbon footprint. Many air conditioning units come with technology designed to help the consumer minimise costs and energy wastage.

Daikin split systems for example, are fitted with trademarked ‘Intelligent Eye’ sensors that switch the unit into energy-saving mode when you leave the room.

Most of Daikin’s split and ducted air conditioning units – including the US7, Australia’s most energy efficient split system model – can also be programmed to turn on and off as it suits your schedule. For example, you could program your unit to turn off automatically an hour after most of the family has gone to bed.

The company also offers a D-mobile app, which allows users to manage their split system remotely.

Myth 2: ACs are ugly

Air conditioning units aren’t known for adding aesthetic value to a home, but that doesn’t mean they have to be an eyesore.

“The indoor unit of the Zena features a stylish and elegant design in a silver or matte white finish that integrates seamlessly into the decor of a modern home.”

Homeowners who don’t want to see their air conditioner at all can opt for ducted air conditioning, in which the indoor unit is concealed within the ceiling or under the floor. Flexible ducting will distribute the air through vents throughout the home.

Myth 3: ACs are noisy

The so-called window rattlers of previous years made so much noise because they combined the motor and the fan coil into one unit. Today’s split systems put the noisiest part of the unit outside the dwelling, so that you don’t have to choose between a cool home or a quiet one.

“Indoor sound levels are most important during night-time operations, as you do not want to be kept awake by the indoor unit, while outdoor unit sound levels are important to ensure minimal impact to the neighbours,” says Singh.

“Some indoor units, including select capacities in our Cora and Zena series, can operate at an industry leading, whisper-quiet 19 decibels when operating in Quiet mode,” he says.

Clogged filters or heat exchanger coils can also contribute to noisier and more inefficient air conditioning systems.

Singh recommends having your air conditioner professionally serviced once a year, especially in the lead up to summer.

“Regular servicing of your air conditioner ensures the filters on the indoor units and heat exchanger coils on the outdoor units are free from dust and dirt, which can accumulate over time and affect the overall performance of your system.”